Rivals Roundtable: Biggest commitments, hard-to-read decisions

Friday is roundtable day at Rivals.com and this week stays with traditions, as Rivals analysts Rob Cassidy and Jason Jordan are joined by rankings contributor Houston Wilson to discuss three topics related to the recruiting world.

Below, the trio weighs in on muddy recruitments, important commitments and which 2025 prospects could be in for rankings bumps later this month.

*****

2025 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2026 Rankings: Rivals150

Transfer Portal: Full coverage | Player ranking | Transfer tracker | Player search

*****

1. WHICH RECENT VERBAL COMMITMENT DO YOU SEE AS MOST IMPORTANT FOR THE TEAM THAT LANDED IT?

Nick Lucero/Rivals.com

“Jasper Johnson to Kentucky, and, to be honest, it’s not close. The measured optimism radiating from Big Blue Nation these days makes it easy to forget how mixed the reaction to Mark Pope’s hire was, so making an early impression was paramount. There’s no better way to do that than landing the five-star guard in your backyard, and Pope went out and did just that. The fact that Pope held off schools such as North Carolina, Arkansas and Alabama to snag the Lexington-based five-star is a bonus. Johnson was a must-get for Kentucky and the fact that the hay is now in the barn should have UK fans walking a little taller.” – Cassidy

“For sure it’s Jasper Johnson to Kentucky. He had to have that win for so many different reasons, but mostly to secure the support of the fan base and brass as a capable recruiter who is absolutely going to keep the high standard of elite talent coming into Lexington. He did that with this one for sure.” – Jordan

“The obvious choice might be Jasper Johnson to Kentucky, but let’s mix it up a bit. I’m going with Nyk Lewis to Xavier. Since Sean Miller returned to Xavier, he and his staff have made the DMV a priority, and they hit the jackpot with Lewis. His commitment gives them their point guard of the future, someone who fits perfectly with their system. Lewis has the skill set to thrive in the…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/rivals-roundtable-biggest-commitments-hard-180355436.html

Author : Rivals Basketball Recruiting

Publish date : 2024-09-06 18:03:55

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.